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caught the author's wonderful fire and spirit, and the story has apparently lost none of its power by being translated into ihe English language. The other two works which make up the trilogy are " The Deluge" and " Pan Michael." No lover of histori cal romance should fail to read these remarkable books, which are destined long to hold a high place in modern literature, ranking with the masterpieces of our greatest novelists.

THE LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE, copied from the best Sources, without Comment. By DANIEL W. WILDER. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1893. Cloth. S 1. oo. This book supplies a long- felt want. It is a sin gular fact that until this compilation of Mr. Wilder's made its appearance, no brief and accurate biography of Shakespeare was obtainable. In these days of "Bacon-Shakespeare controversy " there is a wide spread desire to know more about the life of this greatest of all dramatists; and this book is admirably adapted for the purposes of the general reader. It is brief, concise, and accurate, and contains a fund of valuable information regarding Shakespeare and his plays.

COMIC TRAGEDIES. Written by "Jo " and " Meg," and acted by the "Little Women." Roberts Brothers, Boston, 1893. Cloth. $1.50. This is a collection of plays written by Miss Louisa M. Alcott and her sister Anna, and acted by them in their youthful days. They display no small amount of dramatic talent, and if their gifted authors had continued in this field of literary work. we might have had from their united pens the longlooked-for " American drama." These comic trage dies are of the most intense melodramatic school, the best perhaps being " Bianca : an Operatic Tra gedy." The many readers of " Little Women " will welcome them as delightful reminiscences of the early life of '• Meg " and " Jo."

HELPFUL WORDS. From the writings of Edward Everett Hale. Selected by MARY B. MERRILL. Roberts Brothers, Boston, 1893. Cloth. $1.00. This beautiful little book is made up of extracts from Dr. Hale's sermons and other writings, and the volume is aptly named. The selections are well chosen, and embody the best thoughts of this favorite writer. The illustrations are exceedingly attractive, and altogether the volume is admirably fitted for a Christmas gift.

THE CHILDREN'S YEAR- BOOK. Selections for every day in the year. Chosen and arranged by Edith

EMERSON FORBES. Roberts Brothers, Boston 1893. Cloth. $1.00. This book has been compiled for the use of chil dren from seven to fifteen years of age, in the hope, as the author says, that it may help them to form the habit of reading each day at least a few sentences from the Bible or some religious book. It seems excellently adapted for this purpose, the selections being made with good judgment and with the evident intent of interesiing as well as instructing the youthful mind.

AN UNKNOWN HEROINE. By L. E. CHITTENDEN. Richmond, Croscup & Co., New York, 1893. The old adage that "truth is stranger than fiction" is well exemplified in this story of Mr. Chittenden's. The author, however, assures us that the facts re lated were actual occurrences: and strange as they may seem, they must be taken as simple truth. The story is one of our Civil War, the heroine being a Southern woman, who with noble and unselfish devo tion nurses back to life a Union soldier who had been wounded almost unto dealh. Her heroism and selfsacrifice have their reward, as through the efforts of the man she saved, her husband, who was a prisoner in the hands of the Union army, is restored to her arms. The story is dramatic in the extreme, and is told in Mr. Chittenden's most delightful style. It is a beautiful and fitting tribute to the woman who will now no longer remain an "unknown heroine."

LIFE ON THE CIRCUIT WITH LINCOLN. With sketches of Generals (/rant, Sherman, and McClellan, Judge Davis, Leonard Swett, and other contemporaries. (Illustrated.) By HENRY C. WHITNEY. Estes & Lauriat. Boston. Cloth. $3.50. Will the story of the life of Lincoln ever be fully told? With all the biographies and reminiscences which have been given us of this wonderful man, the material seems by no means to have been exhausted, and in the present volume Mr Whitney adds many valuable facts and reminiscences which only serve to increase one's admiration for the noble character of Abraham Lincoln. Intimately acquainted with him from his earlier days, the author possesses advan tages as a biographer enjoyed by but few writers, and his contribution to our literature concerning Lincoln has the charm of novelty, dealing as it does more particularly with a phase of his life which has been but little dwelt upon. Those of the legal pro fession especially will be interested in Lincoln's ca reer as a lawyer, and the book is one which should be widely read by them. Brief sketches of several of our great war generals are given; but the interest of the work centres upon Lincoln, and Lincoln alone.